How To Play Other Chords In The Major Keys

Now that you know the basics of creating chords, you can build all sorts of different chords within the major scale, easily making all sorts of new sounding triads, built entirely out of that major scale!

If you take that basic triad form, you can walk up the C major scale, making triads out of each chord. Starting with the C chord, move each finger up one white key, making a chord that consists of notes D-F-A. If you think this chord sounds quite different from C major, that’s because it’s a totally different type of chord called a minor chord. These chords sound a lot sadder, more mysterious than their major counterparts.

If you continue to walk up the scale making chords in this manner you’ll create another minor chord based off the notes E-G-B, creating an E minor chord.

The next two chords are the 4th and 5th chords in the major key. You’re already familiar with the F and G major triads.

Moving on past the G major chord, you’ll run into that A minor chord. Remember, A minor is the relative minor of C major!

The final triad you can make walking up the major scale is a unique sounding chord, the half-diminished chord. This chord is made from the notes B-D-F.

Now that you have access to all these chords, experiment with combining them in different ways to create your own chord progressions, working entirely within the major key!